Maxalding is an exercise system of ''muscle control'' using a form of
isometrics
An isometric exercise is a form of exercise involving the static contraction of a muscle without any visible movement in the angle of the joint. The term "isometric" combines the Greek words ''isos'' (equal) and ''-metria'' (measuring), meaning ...
. Books and pamphlets teaching the system were first published in 1909 and continued until Maxalding ceased to trade in the late 1970s.
System
The Maxalding system, like the "
dynamic tension" system of
Charles Atlas and those of others, did not use weights. Where the other systems concentrated on muscle development, Maxalding went one stage further and taught muscle control.
The methods taught had been around since the early 1900s and indeed many of the photos used in the instruction leaflets, even those sold in the 1970s, date from that period. Some exercises of Maxalding, involving isolating the muscles of the abdominal region, are similar to the
yoga
Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consci ...
exercise of
nauli.
Founders
Maxalding (originally called Maxaldo) was a name created from those of the founders, Maxick (
Max Sick) and
Monte Saldo (Alfred Montague Woollaston), and first came into being in 1909.
Maxick was an Austrian
strongman
In the 19th century, the term strongman referred to an exhibitor of strength or similar circus performers who performed feats of strength. More recently, strength athletics, also known as strongman competitions, have grown in popularity. Thes ...
. He was born in
Bregenz
Bregenz (; gsw, label= Vorarlbergian, Breagaz ) is the capital of Vorarlberg, the westernmost state of Austria. The city lies on the east and southeast shores of Lake Constance, the third-largest freshwater lake in Central Europe, between Switze ...
in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
on 28 June 1882,
and moved to Britain in 1909, where he met Saldo. He died in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
on 10 May 1961 after a wrist-wrestling match. The Maxalding principles are based mainly on exercises and techniques which appeared in his book ''Muscle Control'', written in 1911.
Saldo was apprenticed to
Eugen Sandow
Eugen Sandow (born Friedrich Wilhelm Müller, ; 2 April 1867 – 14 October 1925) was a German bodybuilder and showman from Prussia. Born in Königsberg, Sandow became interested in bodybuilding at the age of ten during a visit to Italy. After a ...
in 1897. He took his stage name at the turn of the 20th century while touring Europe demonstrating strength and
gymnastics
Gymnastics is a type of sport that includes physical exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, dedication and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, s ...
. He was also an artist's model and in 1914 published a book called ''How to Pose''. He provided the financial means of promoting Maxick's methods and starting the Maxalding postal course. His son F. H. C. Woollaston took over, using the professional name of Courtlandt Saldo. He carried on the business until sometime in the late 1970s. Courtlandt Saldo died in 1983 at the age of 72.
See also
*
Tony Holland (bodybuilder)
References
External links
*
{{Physical culture
Bodyweight exercises
Physical culture